By Brian Thomas
I am not prophetic — far from it — but my script yesterday clearly stated: “I won’t be surprised if South Africa springs a surprise.”
I also mentioned that if Laura Wolvaardt, the Proteas captain, guided her top-order batters, South Africa could challenge the favourites, England, despite the win predictor giving England 51% and South Africa 49%.
Laura Wolvaardt ticked every box, scoring a magnificent 169 runs off 143 deliveries, with a strike rate of 118.18, including 20 boundaries and 4 maximums. It was an unbelievable exhibition of batting — the crowd at the stadium got their money’s worth, electronic viewers witnessed a masterclass, and the bookmakers took a heavy beating.
Laura received solid support from fellow opener Tazmin Brits, who made 45. The pair put on 116 for the first wicket before Sophie Ecclestone dismissed Tazmin for 45. In the same over, she removed Anneke Bosch for a duck and rattled the stumps of Sune Luus for 1. But Laura Wolvaardt stood tall; her body language made it clear she was determined to bat deep.
From 116 for 1, the Proteas suddenly slumped to 119 for 3, and we thought South Africa had returned to their old habit of choking.
Marizanne Kapp then joined her skipper, and together they repaired the damage, stitching a valuable 72-run partnership for the fourth wicket before Kapp departed for 42. South Africa looked healthy at 191 for 4 in the 37th over.
Wolvaardt played most of her boundaries through the off side but faced another challenge when South Africa lost two quick wickets after Kapp’s departure. Sinalo Jafta was bowled by Lauren Bell for 1, and Annerie Dercksen — who has endured a miserable World Cup so far — fell for 4, giving Ecclestone her fourth wicket. The Proteas looked vulnerable at 201 for 6 approaching the 40th over.
Chloe Tryon then joined Wolvaardt, and the skipper switched gears, attacking the English bowlers relentlessly. With Ecclestone having completed her quota of overs, South Africa thumped 117 runs in the final ten overs, with Wolvaardt and Tryon adding 89 runs for the seventh wicket.
South Africa finished on 319 for 7 in their allotted 50 overs, with Tryon unbeaten on 33.
Fittingly, Wolvaardt scored 169 of South Africa’s 319 runs — what a player!
Now it was England’s turn to chase on what was still a good batting surface. Remember, it was England who had invited South Africa to bat first.
That decision backfired badly. Marizanne Kapp broke the backbone of England’s batting, clean-bowling Amy Jones and Heather Knight in her very first over.
Tammy Beaumont then nicked a Khaka outswinger, and wicketkeeper Sinalo Jafta gleefully accepted the catch. England slumped to 3 wickets for just 1 run.
Alice Capsey joined skipper Nat Sciver-Brunt — unfamiliar territory for Capsey, batting so early with only four overs gone.
The only bright spot for England was a 107-run stand between Sciver-Brunt and Capsey for the fourth wicket. Capsey made her maiden World Cup fifty but celebrated too early, gifting her wicket after doing the hard work. England were 108 for 3 in the 23rd over, looking competitive — until that moment.
She walked back to the pavilion dejected, realising she had thrown it away.
The rest was history. Marizanne Kapp, after suffering from cramps, returned for a second spell and tore through the middle and lower order, removing Sciver-Brunt for 64, Sophia Dunkley for 2, and Charlie Dean for a duck.
England were bowled out for 194 in the 43rd over — outplayed and outclassed. They lost their chance to reach the 2025 final, undone by a scintillating batting display from Laura Wolvaardt (Player of the Match) and an all-round masterclass from Marizanne Kapp with both bat and ball.
The English top order made the mistake of playing for the inswing from both Kapp and Khaka, only to be undone when the ball held its line instead.
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